Improvement in potato digger



1. P. SMITH.

Potato Digger. N6. 60,273. Patented oec. 4, 1866.

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IMPROVEMENT IN POTAIO DIGrGrliR.`

JOHN` P. SMITH, OF HUDSON, NEWv YDRK.

Letters Patent 1No. 60,273, dated 4 December 4, 1866; antedated November 22, 1866.

'SPECIFICATION'.

`TO ALL'WHOM IT MAY GONCERN: n n n Be it known that I, JOHN P. SMITH, of Hudson, in the county of Columbia, and Stateof lNew York, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Potato Diggers; and I do hereby declare that the following `is 4a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, `making `a l part of this specification, in whichn y Figure I 4is a plan or top view of a potato digger, constructed according to my invention. Figure 2' is a longitudinal vertical section, taken centrally through o. 1. l Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both figures.

This invention consists in a novel construction of a potato digger, whereby the greater' portion of the diri;`

or earth with which the potatoes are intermingled when first taken from the groundis removed therei'ron'ilfl previous to their passage to the shaking or agitating screen, which completes the separation of the dirt or earth from the potatoes and deposits them upon the surface of the ground, by which means a 'very eiHcient operatinn` of the "digger is obtained with a greatly reduced draught as compared with those heretofore devised.

To enable others to understand the construction and operation of my invention, I will t proceed to describe` l i it with reference to the drawings.' n n d v A represents a strong inclined Vscreen made of cast iron or other suitable materiahand which has `{ixedupon` each of its lateral edges an upright side piece, B. The rearmost lower y portions of these sidepieces Bproject below the screen A, and constitute runners which support the rearmost end of the said screen and hold the sainel n in the proper inclined position, while the upper portions of the said side pieces prevent 'the dirt and potatoes,`

from `falling cti' from the said lateral edges of the screen. Formed in this screen are anyl suitable numberiiof holes or longitudinal or transverse slots, as represented at a, the said holes or slots being ofisuch sizcxand shape i as to permit the dirt, but not the potatoes, torpass through them, as will be hereinafter more fully explained.`

The front or lower end of the screen A, is brought to a sharp edge and has formed upon each side a forwardly..

projecting share, C, the outer edge of which is joined to the adjacent side piece B, while its` inner edge is `made il inclined or sloping with reference to the front edge of the screen A, as shown. more clearlylin iig. '1; the sharp" y y front edge of this screen A, with its shares 0,*ploughs or penetrates into the soil tobrin'g the potatoes tothe surface, as will be hereinafter fully set forth. D are arched transverse vbraces of wroughtl iron, `which extend n 'from one side piece, B, to the other, over the screen A; and xed securely upon these braces is a longitudinal1 beam, E, which projects forward in advance of the front edge of the digging screen A. Firmiy sccuredinpon n the forward end of this beam E is a transverse bar, F, at each end of which is a downwardly projecting lugplb.

These lugs may be strengthened by a transverse brace, r, and have formed in them suitablebearingslorpboxes for the reception of an axle, G, upon each end of which is rigidly fixed a wheel, II. These wheels Hnot `only operate the shaking or agitating screen, as will be presently explained, but prevent thefront or diggiugedgo of thescrecn A, and its shares, G, from penetrating too deeply into the ground. Projectingback and "upivard` from the rear ends of the side pieces B are two handles, I, by means of which the machine is guided when inl operation. Situated behind thetwo side pieces B are two small runners, J, which areattached to cach other by a transverse bar, e, and thus constitute a small sled which is secured behind the screen by links or short bars,

d, extending from the runners J' to the side pieces B, and pivoted at each end to the sadrunners and side pieces in order to lallow the sled to accommodate itself to the uneven surface of the ground. L is the shaking lor` agitating screen, which is placed upon the sled, c d', with its forward edge a little below the real-most edgcoi' thel screenA, and its rearmost edge pivoted at its centre to the transverse bar c, by meanso'f a vertical Tbolt or piu, as shown at e. f are hangers which project downward from the rear ends of the side pieces B', and in `cach of i which is formed a transverse slot. A transverse sliding bar, N, is passed through these slots, sothat it is` supported at cach end by the aforesaid hange'rs f. The forward edge of the shaking 'screen L ispiyotcd at its` i centre to the centre of vthe sliding bar N, in such manner that the said forward edge of the screen L is suspended l from the said sliding bar, and so that a reciprocating motion being given to the sliding bar, the screen will be vibrated or swung to and fro upon the pivot e. This screen L is perforated with a suiiicient number of holcszof such size as will permit the passage through them of the dirt, but not the potatoes, and has itsfront cdgosorus what higher than its rearmost edge to facilitate the delivery of the potatoes from the said screen to thc surface f of the ground. Projectingfrom the outer side oi' one of the side 'pieces `B is ahorizontal lug, g, upon whiclris;

@dass pivoted a bent lever', P, one arm of which is pivoted to the end of the sliding bar N, while the other arm of the said bent lever is connected, by means of a pitman, R, with a crank pin,]i, fixed in one of the wheels H, in such manner that the rotation of the said wheels communicates a reciprocating motion to the sliding bar N, and consequently vibrates theshaking screen L upon the pivot d, as just hereinbefore mentioned. One or two horses or other draught animals being attached in the ordinary or any suitable way to the forward end of the beam E, the machine is drawn forward with the wheels H astride of a row of potatoes, so that the sharp front edge of the inclined screen A ploughs into and through the soi'l at a depth alittle below' that 4'at which the potatoes are generally found. The inclined inner' edges of the shares C tend to throw the mingled dirt and potatoes inward, so that as the machine advances they slide back and upward upon the inclined surface of the screen A,

the greater part 'of the dirt falling through the holes or slots a, which are made too narrow to allow the passage 'of the potatoes through them; the potatoes, and whatever dirt may not have fallen through the slots a, having been forced back to the rear edge of the screen A by the progressive movement of the said screen, fall upon the agitatingscreen, which, being', shaken bythe rotation of the wheel H, as hereinbefore fully explained, the remainingdrirt is shaken throughkthe 'holes in the said screen L, while the potatoes, passing back upon the Aslightly inclined surface thereof, fall from its rearmost edge to the ground. By these means much less power the potatoes through thescreen L.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is y 1. The inclined digging screen A, furnished with shares C, and combined with the shaking screen L, substantially as herein set forth for the purpose specified.

is necessary to separate the potatoes-from thedirt than if it was required to shake the whole `of the dirt from 2. The pitman B., cranked lever P, and sliding` bar N, arranged in relation with each other and with the shaking screen L, driving-wheel or wheels H, and digging screen A, substantially as herein set forth -forthe purpose specified.

3.. The sled c J, arranged in rear of the digging screen A, and underneath the shaking screen L, substantiallyl as herein set forth for .the purpose specified.

' 4. The arrangement, with reference to the digging screen A, of the arched braces D, beam E, transverse bar F, and wheels H, substantially as herein set forth for the purpose specified.

JOHN P. SMITH. Witnesses:

CEAS. H. Lower., JNo. B. LONGLEY. 

